Steam-trap.



No. 727.075. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903. v

R. G. .BROOKE.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLIOATION FILED r1112. 9. 1901.

no MODEL. s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L .Zhvenfor W71 esses No. 727,075. PATENTED MAY 5,190.3. R. G. BROOKEL'STEAM TRAP.

APPLIQATION FILED rm 9, 1901.

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nlllln W t'nesses iii/wen tor I Y v l YHE N'JRS OIWASNAHCTEIN'. C. C I

o bracket, or other connection.

UNITED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

FFICE.

PATENT STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 727,075, dated May 5,1903.

Application filed February 9,1901. Serial No. 46.674. (No model.)

5 land, have invented Improvements in Steam- Traps, of which thefollowing is a tion.

This invention has reference to an improved construction of expansionsteam-trap specificaof the kind wherein the water-discharge opening fromthe expansion-tube of the trap is controlled by a valve that is pushedoff its seat in an inward direction against the fluidpressure within theexpansion-tube by contraction of such tube, is closed in an outwarddirection by the direct action upon it of the fluid-pressure within thetube when the latter rexpands upon the admission of steam thereto, andis disconnected from the device used for directly opening it, so that.

when pushed off its seat it is capable ofjopening automatically to afurther extent inde-- pendently of the opening device in order that thevalve may open fully and quickly and 2 5 admit of the water beingsuddenly discharged from the tube with a pop-like action, after whichthe tube is again expanded by the entrance of steam thereto and thevalve quickly closed and held closed by internalsteam-pressure until thetube again contracts.

The present invention consistsin improved constructions of steam-trapsof the kind referred to and in certain combinations and arrangements ofparts, all as hereinafter de- 5 scribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure '1 shows, partly in verticalsection onthe line A A of Fig. 2 and partly in side elevation, and Fig.2 in end elevation, one construction 0 of steam-trap constructedaccording to this invention. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, showinga modified construction. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view showing amodified construction. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan and Fig. 6, across-section on the-line B B of Fig.

5, showing a further modification.

The steam-trap shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a straightexpansion-tube a, that is provided at its inlet end with a flange, Aflange b is shown, by which it can be attached to a steampipe or othervessel to be drained of water of condensation. At its other end the saidtube is provided with a valve-box 0, having longitudinal inlet andoutlet branches d and 6, respectively, separated by a horizontal wall orpartition f, in which is a water-discharge aperture g. Below thepartition is a conical valve h, carried by a stem m, the lower part itof which works in a guide 0, carried by a screw-plugp, fixed to thebottom of the valvebox 0. The upper part of the valve-stem m passesthrough a screw cap or cover q, that is fixed to the top of thevalve-box and may, as shown, be adapted to serve as a stufiingbox forthe said stem. Between the valve h and its lower guide 0 and surroundingthe lower part at of the valve-stem is or may be a light coiled springr, that tends to raise the valve to its seat 8, which is formed on thelower side of the wall or partition f and around the aperture 9therethrougb.

For pushing the valve inward and off its seat there is jointed, by meansof a pin 6, to lugs to on the top-of the valve-box c a bent bar'or lever12, (hereinafter called the bent lever 01,) that is more or less ofbell-crank or L shape, and a normally horizontal portion '0 of which isadapted, as by a downwardlyextending projection m, to rest upon the topof the projecting endof the valve-stem m, and between the flange b orits equivalent and an upwardly-extending portion 12 of the bent lever 12is a horizontal or approximately horizontal rigid rod 1, that acts onthe contraction of the tube a to partly turn the bent lever 12 on itspivot 75 and force the valve-stem an inward to push the valve off itsseat. The said rod 1 is adjustable endwise for setting the steam-trap toopen upon a predetermined contraction of the tube taking place. Thisadjustment, which is the only one necessary for putting the trap inworking order, can be arranged for in various'ways; In the exarnple nowbeing described the rod 1 is madein two parts, connected together by asleeve 2, having right and left handed screw-threads engaging thecorrespondingly screw-threaded ends of the two parts of the rod.

As will be seen, the arrangement is such that when the expansion-tube acontracts it will move back the fulcrum-pin 25 of the bent lever o andcause the recessed upper part '0 of the said lever to be forced againstthe rigid rod 1, with the result that the bent lever 'u will be causedto turn about its pivot and its forward end to move downward and depressthe valve-spindle m and open the valve it against the fluid-pressurewithin the trap, whereupon the said valve will be immediately opened toa further extent by the issuing Water independently of the bent lever'11, so as to allow of the pop-like action hereinbefore described, thevalve automatically closing immediately the water is ejected andreplaced by steam. I

In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 3 the rear end of the rigidrod 1 bears against one end of a lever 3, that surrounds theexpansion-tube a and is fulcruined on lugs or projections 4, extendingfrom the front side of the flange b or its equivalent, a similar rigidrod 1 being placed between the other end of the said lever 3 and thevalve-box 0. By this means the movement of the valve 72. for agivencontraction of the expansion-tube a is increased. In this exampleendwiseadjustment of the rod 1 is provided for by arranging the rear endof the said rod to rest against a concave seat 5 in anendwise-adjustable setscrew 6, fixed in the adjacent end of the bentlever 3.

A suitable device may in each case be provided for enabling thesteam-trap to be blown through from time to time for testing or otherpurposes. A suitable device for this purpose comprises, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, a cam or eccentric 9, provided with a hand-lever 10 andpivoted by a pin 11 to lugs 12 on the valve-box c, the arrangement beingsuch that by turning the handle 10 the cam or eccentric 9 will be causedto depress the bent lever 12 and the valve-stem m, and so open the valveh against the fluid-pressure within the trap. In the arrangement shownin Fig. 3 the bent lever v has extending through its forward or free enda screw 13, the upper end of which is provided with a handle 10 and thelower end or head let of which bears upon the top of the valve-stem m,so as to depress the same and open the valve h when the handle is turnedin one direction.

A suitably-arranged spring or equivalent is or may be provided forkeeping the ends of the rigid rod or rods 1 1 at all times in closecontact with such parts of the apparatus as they are intended to abutagainst, so as to prevent backlash and, further, to prevent the bentlever 12 and the said rod or rigid rods and the interposed lever 3, Fig.3, from shaking or rattling. In the arrangement shown for this purposein Figs. 1 and 3 a coiled spring 15 is placed between the top of thevalve-box c and the under side of the bent lever 12. In the modifiedarrangement shown in Fig. 4 the coiled spring 15 is placed between a lugc on the top of the valve-box c and a lug 7J3, extending downward fromthe bent lever 11, which in this case is approximately of T shape, thesaid spring'15 being held in place by a pin 16, fixed to the said lug cand extending into a hole in the lug '0 In the further modifiedarrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the bent lever '0 is fixed to itspivot-pin t, to one end of which is connected one end of a spring-forexample, a helical spring 15-the other end of which is connected to thelug or bracket to, in which the pin 25 is mounted. The spring may, asshown, be inclosed in a recess 19, closed by a screw-cap 20.

Although in the steam-traps hereinbefore described, and shown in thedrawings, the expansion-tube a is horizontal and the valve- ,stem mvertical, it is obvious that such steamstraps can be used in variouspositions-for example, with the expansion-tube a, vertical and thevalve-stem m horizontal.

WVhat I claim is--- 1. An expansion steam-trap comprising anexpansion-tube, a valve-box carried by the outer or free end thereof andformed with a water-discharge aperture, a valve arranged at the innerside of said aperture so as tocontrol the same and provided with anoutwardlyextending stem, valve-operating means disconnected from saidvalve and adapted on contraction of said tube to press said stem inwardand force said valve ofi its seat in an inward direction against thefluid-pressure in said tube, and means tending to move saidvalveoperating means away from said valve and to put it in compression,substantially as described for the purpose specified.

2. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, a valve-boxfixed to its outer free end and having a water-discharge aperturetherethrough, a valve arranged at the inner side of said aperture andadapted to control the passage of water therethrough, a valve-stemextending outward through said valve-box, a spring having a constanttendency to move said valve in an outward direction to close it, a bentlever and an abutment device adapted on contraction of said tube, toforce said valve-stem and valve inward against the said spring and thefluid-pressure within said tube, and a spring arranged between saidvalve-box and bent lever and tending to move said bent lever from saidvalve-stem, substantially as described.

3. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, a valve-boxfixed to its outer free end and having a water-discharge aperturetherethrough, a valve arranged at the inner side of said aperture andadapted to control the passage of water therethrough, a valve-stemextending outward through said valve-box, a spring having a constanttendency to move said valve in an outward direction to close it, a bentlever and an abutment device adapted on contraction of said tube, toforce said valve-stem and valve inward against the said spring and thefiuid-pressure within said tube, and an adjustable device carried bysaid bent lever, adapted to be operated by hand, and to force saidvalve-stem and valve inward independently of any movement of said bentlever, substantially as described.

4. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, avalve-boxfixed to its outer and to movesaid lever, valve-stem and valve inward oncon traction of said expansion-tube,

substantially as described.

5. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, a valve-boxfixed to its outer free'end and having a water-discharge aperturetherethrough 'with an annular seat around its inner end, a conical valvelocated at the inner side of said aperture and adapted to bear againstsaid seat, a stem carrying said valve and extending outward through saidvalve-box, a bent lever carried by said valve-box and adapted to bearagainst the outer end of said stem but disconnected therefrom, anabutment, and an endWise-adjustable rod acting at one end against saidlever between its two ends and at the other end against said abutmentand adapted on contraction of said expansion-tube to move said lever ina direction to force said valve-stem and valve inward, substantially asdescribed.

6. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, a valve-boxfixed to its outer free end and having a water-discharge aperturetherethrough, a valve arranged at the inner side of said aperture andadapted to control the same, a stem carrying said valve and extendingoutward through said valvebox, a bent lever carried by said valve-boxand adapted to bear against the outer end of said stem but disconnectedtherefrom, a second lever pivoted to a fixed support, a rod acting atone end against said bent lever and at the other end against one arm ofsaid sec ond lever, a second rod acting at one end against the oppositearm of said second lever and at the other end against said valve-box,said rods being arranged practically parallel to said tube and adaptedto force said valve inward on contraction of said tube, and a springarranged to press said levers and rods into close contact with eachother and against said valve-box, substantially as described.

7. An expansion steam-trap comprising the expansion-tube at having atone end an attach ment b and at the other end a valve-box 0 formed withpassages d, e and a connectingaperture 9, the valve h arranged at theinner side of said aperture and provided with a stem m extending throughsaid valve-box,

thebent lever '12 jointed to said valve-box and extending over saidvalve-stem, the lever 3 surrounding said tube a and pivoted onextensions of said attachment 1), the rods 1, 1

, arranged between said leversv and 3 and said valve-box c, the spring15 between said valve box and lever'u, and means for adjusting one ofsaid rods endwise, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

Signed at the city of Manchester, in the I county of Lancaster, England,this 22d day of January, 1901.

ROBERT GRUNDY BROOKE. Witnesses:

EDWIN J ONES, WILLIAM. HASLAM.

